The Amnesiac Bride
by ggvision2002
Summary: Lindsay Monroe couldnt remember the wedding, her new husband or even her own name.. none of this made any sense.. Who is the man she married? Can Danny Messer help her through it? Will she be able to forgive Danny when she finds out the truth? please R
1. Why are you looking at me like that?

**The A****mnesiac bride**

**I own nothing CBS owns the rights to CSI and its affiliates. The plot of this story is based on the story the amnesiac bride by Maria Ferrarella.**** Im still relatively new to this fanfic world so please be kind and review to let us know how im doing :) **

**Chapter 1**** – Why are you looking at me like that?**

She opened her eyes, immediately her head began to throb. As she slowly took in her surroundings she realized she didn't remember where she was. She blinked, attempting not so much to clear her mind but to summon an image, any image, to it. Nothing, there was nothing. She didn't remember or more so her mind wouldn't let her remember. With furtive movements she attempted to focus on various items in the large sun splashed bedroom, searching, desperately hoping to see something that would trigger a reaction, a thought. Panic engulfed her. There wasn't a single familiar thing in it. Not the flower arrangements that littered every flat surface of the room, not the room itself, or even the half naked man lying beside her.

The sudden realization that she wasn't alone made her bolt upright in the bed, her body rigidly alert; her head ached to a point of bursting. Lips pressed together she stared at the sleeping man. Again there was nothing. He triggered no memories. How was that possible? How could she not remember who this man lying in bed next to her was? At that very moment a horrible realization encompassed her. She didn't even know who she was. She didn't know her own name. There was nothing, only a void, there was nothing in her mind to grasp, no name, no murky memories to piece together to make a whole. There was nothing of her, this room or this man beside her. She was more stunned then afraid, real fear hadn't had time to register. Who was he? And why was he sleeping on top of the covers and not beneath them? Slowly rubbing her temples to soothe the pain that had already been occupying her head, she leaned forward to look at him more carefully before he awoke and perhaps asked questions of his own, questions she couldn't answer.

He was wearing faded jeans that even in his sleep adhered to him like a second skin. The snap was open just below his navel, resting against a taut, flat stomach. He looked to be tall, lean and well muscled. There was definition to his biceps and even in his relaxed state couldn't erase. They matched the sharp contours of his face, what she could see of it anyway. One of his arms was thrown against his forehead, obscuring a clear view. He was a complete stranger. Smothering a frustrated uneasy sigh, she eased her legs out from beneath the covers. Still watching his face, she rose. He didn't move.

But the room did. It tilted abruptly as the searing pain in her temple intensified. Caught off guard she almost crumpled to the floor. She grasped for the bedpost, wrapped her fingers around the pole and steadied herself. The room righted itself again and within a moment her knees felt stronger.

Afraid she's woken him she looked quickly to the man on the bed. He was still asleep. Relief trickled through her. She didn't want to deal with the man yet, not until she could have some sort of handle on all this. Some sort of name attached to herself first. Cautiously she moved towards the mirrored closet. The reflection looking back at her was that of another stranger. A wide eyed stranger with lost brown eyes and shoulder length brown hair, the ends of which flirted with the edge of a aqua blue gown that was short on material. The woman in the mirror was hauntingly pretty, she didn't remember being pretty. For a moment she could only stare at the reflection wondering who this woman was and wondering how she got here, to this state.

A breeze from a partially opened window ruffled the gauzy material; it fluttered and moved about her, she felt instantly cold. She moved to open the closet door, there has to be a robe somewhere.

Her hand tightened on the door, there was a robe in there all right, and it was hanging beside the wedding gown, not a dress, but a gown in the full sense of the word. An exquisite gown with the appliqué and beading that suggested the huge price tag that had once been attached to it. A few grains of rice were strewn on the carpet just below it. A sense of awe fluttered through her, as she reached for the material in front of her, was it hers? She looked over her shoulder towards the bed, and did he go with it? Her heart hammered against her chest, as the full impact of the situation came to her.

She took the white robe from its hanger and quickly put it on. Just as quickly she searched each pocket hoping to find a clue that could help resolve this situation. Her fingers curled around something glossy in the left pocket. She held her breathe as she pulled it out. It was a photograph, a Polaroid to be exact of her and the man in the bed. Except that he didn't have jeans on. He was wearing a tuxedo. The kind men wore when they married women in gowns with high price tags. Gowns like the one she was wearing in the photograph. Panic began to intensify within her, if she knew all that, if she knew about gowns and tuxedoes and Polaroid photographs, the question echoed in her lonely brain was why she didn't know who she was? And why she couldn't remember posing for this picture?

Tears began to moisten her lashes as she stared down at the photograph in h er hand.

'Hey you're up'

The unexpected greeting startled her. She swung around towards the source, something defensive snapping into place and galvanizing her spine. It was all automatic, done without conscious thought. Something told her she didn't trust strangers, and despite the photographic evidence in her hand he was still a stranger to her… at least for now.

'Looks that way' she replied guardedly.

Danny Messer pulled his body upright on the bed and leaned against the headboard. He had sat up most of the night watching her because he'd been concerned. It had been a hell of a night.

Body aching, he rotated his shoulders stretching them subtlety like a tiger waking from its sleep. How had it gotten to be morning so soon?

Making the best of it, he dragged one hand through his hair then rubbed it across his face, brushing sleep aside. He took his glasses from the bedside table and put them on. He could snap into action at a moment's notice but enjoyed the luxury of not having to do that now. He could relax around Lindsay the way he couldn't afford to around too many people.

He glanced toward her now. Was it his imagination or was she looking at him oddly? She'd certainly had him worried for a while there, but it looked as if everything was all right. The itch at the back of his neck warned him that maybe he was being too optimistic too soon. It wasn't something he was in the habit of doing very often.

Danny looked at her again. Her expression puzzled him. Her body language only compounded it. She seemed tense, like a diver on the edge of the board before a major dive. A diver who wasn't sure the pool had been filled with water.

'How do you feel?'

When he rose and moved toward her, she took a step back, her eyes on his face. It wasn't a face that a woman would easily forget. Yet she had. Completely. Why?

The words in response to his question came out slowly, rolling toward him one at a time.

'How am I supposed to feel?'

Danny's brows almost touched as they drew together. She was being unusually cagey this morning. And it wasn't his imagination. She was looking at him oddly. What was going on?

'I don't know', he shrugged. 'You tell me'

How had this turned into a debate? And was she trying to maintain a distance between them?

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	2. isnt the time to pull a practical joke

**Thank you for all those that reviewed I am very grateful for all the kind words :) Hope you all like this next chapter… Again I own nothing. **

**Chapter 2 – This is not the time to pull a practical joke Montana**

Subconsciously testing his theory, he reached out for her arm. Lindsay backed away. The look on her face said she didn't know if he was going to touch her or strike her. What the hell was wrong with her? He thought of last night. Maybe they weren't out of the woods yet. His eyes daring her to move, he took another step towards her. What the hell was going on?

'That was a nasty bump you got last night'

'Bump?'

She echoed the word, letting it play across her mind. It meant nothing to her, brought back no scene, no sensation. She held perfectly still, afraid to breathe, as his tentative fingers felt around her forehead. Only when the man brushed against the bump did she wince and pull her head back.

Danny dropped his hand to his side staring at her. The swelling had gone down, just as the doctor had told them it would. Everything was supposed to be all right now.

'Yeah, bump.' He studied her face. 'The one you got – hey, what's with you this morning, Montana?'

He'd once seen a look that had passed through a child's eyes as she tried to grasp the string of a balloon that the wind had ripped from her hands, only to miss. Lindsay had that same look in her eyes now. His uneasiness grew.

'What?' he pressed.

Disappointment filled the void, choking her, and then disappeared without a trace. She was empty again. She shook her head. She could almost hear it rattling.

'Nothing, only for a minute, I thought that sounded familiar.'

What the hell was she talking about? 'Of course it sounded familiar. I've been calling you that for…' His voice trailed off as he took a closer look at her. Impatience drop from him like a snake's outer skin. She didn't look like herself at all. The jaunty, devil-may-care confidence was gone. He couldn't put a name to what was in its place. He only knew he didn't like what he saw. Something in his gut turned over.

Danny took hold of her shoulders. She was trembling. It wasn't cold in the room. He looked into her eyes and saw nothing except a tiny spark of fear; the woman he knew was gone.

His voice was low and deadly calm as he asked, 'What's the matter?'

Somehow it seemed cowardly to admit it. She had a vague feeling that she wasn't a coward. That made her feel a little better, though why it should, she couldn't say. She couldn't say a lot of things. She had the oddest feeling that she had leaped into this body from nowhere. Leaped into it like … like that scientist in the TV show. Hysteria bubbled and receded, held back by a steely lid she clamped down on it. My god, she had no idea who she was, or where she was, and yet she remembered a TV program. It made no sense. Nothing made any sense. She raised her eyes to the man in front of her. Could she trust him? Trust was important to her. She knew that, too. And she knew that she had no other choice. She had to trust him. She had to let someone into this solitary world she found herself occupying. Hesitating, she wet her lips and took a chance.

'I don't know who I am.'

'What?' Danny released her and backed away, shaking his head.

Whatever she thought his reaction would be annoyance hadn't headed the list. But he obviously was annoyed, very annoyed.

'This is a hell of a time to try to spring a practical joke Montana.'

She grasped at the straw he's intentionally offered her.

'Do I do that? Do I play practical jokes?' What was she asking him that for?

'You know you do.'

He opened the closest and took out a navy blue pair of slacks. If he had his way, jeans would be the only clothing anyone would wear, but there were certain requirements to this game. He took a shirt out that was the colour of corn bleached by the sun. That ought to do.

'Now hurry up, we have to be – '

He stopped talking as he turned to look over his shoulder. She was still standing there, in the centre of the room, looking like a lost waif. He'd never seen her like that before. Danny let the clothes drop on the bed. Instincts he had long ago learned to trust with his life nudged their way forward. 'My god you're actually serious aren't you?'

Very slowly, biting her lower lip to keep it from trembling, she nodded. She fought back the tears she suddenly felt rising again.

'Yes.'

The hoarse response echoed in the hotel suite, the sound framed by the four walls. Beyond the window seven floors down, the people who flocked to Las Vegas to divert themselves or to win easy money that turned out to not be so easily wooed, were busy going about their business. They could have been a thousand miles away for all the difference they made. Stunned, Danny sank down on the bed, his blue eyes never leaving her face. If she was lying, he'd know. And if this was a joke, he was going to kill her…slowly.

'You're telling me you have amnesia?'

What did it take to make him understand? 'I'm telling you I don't know who I am!'

She wasn't kidding, she was serious. _What the hell am I supposed to do now? _ He wondered.

She though he looked more devastated by the revelation than she did and didn't see how that could be possible. But then, if they had just been married… Her fingers curved around the photograph, she'd hastily shoved back into her pocket when he'd woken up.

'Are you my husband?'

Thoughts were colliding in his brain like megabytes of information being processed in a computer. The question brought him up abruptly. He looked at her surprised.

'What?'

She pulled out the photo and looked at it again, then raised her eyes o his face.

'Are you my husband?' she repeated.

For the first time since this ordeal started, she looked down at her hand. There were rings on it. Huge magnificent rings, the diamond engagement ring gleamed and shot off rays as it trapped a sunbeam within its sphere. The glow reflected off the diamonds encrusted in the gold band beneath it. Her mouth formed a perfect O as she stared at the light show. The stones were large enough to have their own zip code. At least one of them, she thought, was very, very rich.

Danny scrubbed his hand over his face. This was going to complicate everything…

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	3. Yes i am your husband

**Thank you for all those that reviewed I am very grateful for all the kind words :) **

**Hope you all like this next chapter… Again I own nothing. **

I know it seems short so far will be longer chapters if I do decide to continue the fic, anyways hope you enjoy this latest chapter ….

**Chapter 3 ****– Yes I am your husband…**

Why hadn't she been more careful last night? He'd told her to stay in the hotel room, but she had been stubborn and followed and then she'd fallen. The laugh he uttered was purely reflexive, a throw-away sound.

'I'm-' Debating he made a decision and hope it wasn't the wrong one. There'd be hell to pay eventually if it was. Danny moved towards her and put his hands on her shoulder again. Hoping against hope, he looked into her eyes one more time. No this wasn't a joke, she'd never carry one this far. Damn it, anyway. He should have locked her up in the room last night. But it was too late for remorse now. He'd have to play the hand he'd been dealt. He always had before. But this time, he had a feeling it was going to be harder than usual to bluff.

A practical smile slide across his lips. With just the smallest bit of effort, Danny forced it to his eyes. A man did what he had to survive. 'Yes, I'm your husband.'

She had the photograph and the rings, yet his assurance couldn't penetrate the invisible wall wrapped around her, couldn't nudge a single memory to the fore, she bit her frustration back.

'Then you'd know my name.'

His eyes touched her face, her hair, with such familiarity she though she should remember at least a kernel of something. But she didn't.

Taking her hands in his, Danny nodded. 'Yes, I know your name.'

Maybe if she heard it. 'What is it?' she asked hopefully.

This was going to take some time, Danny thought. And time was the one thing they didn't have in abundance. Not if this thing was going to go off on schedule. But he couldn't just ignore the situation, either. Damn, but this was a mess. Trying to be gentle was he could Danny took her by the hand and sat her down on the bed.

'Your name is Lindsay. Lindsay Monroe.' He searched her eyes to see if that made any impression on her.

She could almost feel him delving into her mind, looking for something as hard as she was looking for it herself. Maybe he was her husband. There was no reason to doubt him just because she couldn't remember. Why would he lie?

Powerless to make a connection with the name she shook her head in response to the unspoken question that hung between them.

_All right then, here goes, he thought_. 'Actually your names Lindsay Messer now, we were married two days ago in a chapel just outside of Las Vegas, were in Las Vegas right now. The Tangiers Hotel.'

She didn't know a single thing about herself outside the fact that she had, at least once, watched a TV program about a time traveler, yet what he was telling her didn't sound right. Didn't feel right. She didn't think she was the kind of person who would have been happy settling for a ceremony in Las Vegas. Something told her she had more taste then that. More of a sense of tradition. And there was the clothes, confused she pulled out the photograph from her pocket and held it up to him again.

'Aren't these very fancy clothes for Las Vegas?' If she was going to run off with him, why had she bothered bringing such an expensive – looking gown with her?

Danny sighed, Lindsay might not be in there at the moment, but she'd left behind her annoying habit of picking things apart. He might have known the worst traits would remain.

'You insisted, 'he told her, the smile on his lips never fading. 'You said you wanted a memorable photograph of your wedding, even if the place wasn't.'

'Why Las Vegas?' The rings didn't look fake, the gown certainly wasn't. That meant there was money enough for a huge wedding.

His smile widened. This time there was just the slightest trace of amusement in his eyes. 'You were in a hurry.'

In a hurry. That, like the nickname he had called her, almost struck a chord before fading away. She held the photograph in both hands, looking down at it. Willing herself to remember, to grasp the half memory before it became a ghost.

'Was anyone else there?' she raised her eyes to his. 'My parents? Brothers? Sisters?' she tried to conjure up faces to go with the labels. They didn't come.

He continued to watch her eyes as he answered. 'You don't have any.'

Lindsay sighed. She was alone. That would account for some emptiness she felt. But not all. A newlywed shouldn't feel as if she were hollow. Should she?

'Then there's just you?' she asked Danny, her voice hardly above a whisper.

Guilt raced through him. He squelched it. Mustering the most sympathetic look he could, Danny covered her hand with his own and squeezed it.

'Just me.'

She nodded, absorbing the information. 'What's your name?'

'Danny, Danny Messer.' He could see that didn't mean anything to her, either.

Very lightly he brushed aside her hair and looked at the bump she'd sustained last night. It didn't look very big now. He'd been concerned enough about it at the time to force her to go to the emergency room even when she'd stubbornly refused. X-rays hadn't shown any cause for alarm. There were no signs of a concussion. The doctor had assured him she'd be fine after a night's rest.

Fine. Yeah right. The man had probably gotten his medical degree from the back of a matchbook cover. Danny rose to his feet, his hand still wrapped around hers. Quinton slept in late. That gave them a few hours leeway.

'Look why don't we go back to the hospital?'

Doubt filled the hollow spaces. 'Back?'

It was going to be a matter of force-feeding her all sorts of information. He knew the danger in that. He was going to have to be careful.

Danny nodded. 'I took you there last night, after you hit your head. Community general.'

The name meant less than nothing to her. 'How did I happen to…?'

He anticipated her question. The scenario was one he'd thought of last night, while driving her home from the hospital. In case anyone should ask.

'In the pool. The one on the roof. It was late, and we had it to ourselves. I guess we got a little carried away.' He said vaguely, then flashed her a dazzling smile when he saw more doubt in her eyes. 'After all, we are on our honeymoon. Anyways, you slipped and hit your head on the side of the pool.'

'Was I unconscious?'

'No, that's why you resisted.'

'Resisted? You?' That seemed hardly likely. She might not remember Danny Messer, but there was no denying that something within her remembered the chemistry between them. Even now, highly confused and disorientated, she was aware of it. Aware of an underlying strong pull between them. It was all she needed to convince her that he was telling her the truth. Whether or not she remembered it, she was his wife.

'No, going to the hospital. I had to force you to go to the emergency room.'

Again, something vague whispered along the perimeter of her mind. Someone being ushered into a car. Was it her? Was he the one doing the ushering? Her head began to ache again.

'You forced me?' she repeated.

Despite the gravity of the situation, his mouth curved. 'Your stubborn.'

So what exactly did she have here? A name and a face, neither of which were even vaguely familiar. And a few scraps of information. How did it all fit together?

'I'm stubborn and I play practical jokes and I have no family.' She blew out a deep breath. 'Not much to build on is it?'

Danny thought of his background. 'Some have had less.' He wished he could tell her more, but now wasn't the time. Instead he slipped his arm around her. 'C'mon, get dressed and we'll see what the doctor has to say.'

Before she could answer, there was a sharp knock on the door.

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	4. Danny are you being shy…?

Thank you for all the kind reviews… hope you enjoy the chapter

Apologies for errors that may appear in my haste to get this up…

**Chapter 4 – 'Danny are you being shy…?'**

The rapid knock came again.

'Room service,' a baritone voice on the other side of the door sang out.

Danny hadn't ordered anything. He looked at the door, then glanced over his shoulder toward the closet, debating. There wasn't time for that. Besides, it would raise too many questions. Her questions. Danny made no move to open the door.

'I didn't send for room service.'

'No sir. Compliments of Mr. Richard Quinton, sir,' the voice on the other side of the door cheerfully told him. 'He left orders last night to bring you the biggest, best breakfast our kitchen has to offer.'

'Oh.' Some of the tension left his shoulders. But when Lindsay reached for the doorknob, Danny caught her wrist. She looked at him, growing steadily more confused. He shook his head, moving his body between her and the door.

'I'll get it.'

Her head still felt incredibly fuzzy, but Lindsay was certain that she'd seen a warning glance pass over his face just as he'd grabbed her wrist. Why was he being so cautious? In was only room service. It just didn't make sense. But then, nothing did.

Lindsay moved to the side, watching Danny. He opened the door a crack, then a little farther, before finally stepping aside. Her attention was drawn away from Danny to the cart the bellman was pushing in before him. The top of the mobile table was completely filled with covered dishes. There was just barely enough room for their place settings. Even the empty coffee cups were placed in the centre of the plates. The bellman wheeled the cart over near the window. With a flourish, he began uncovering the various dishes while slanting an appreciative look towards Lindsay. There were hot cakes, waffles, sausages, bacon, toast, ham and eggs prepared two different ways. When he was finished, the bellman handed Danny a note. Unfolding it, Danny found that it simply said, 'Eat hearty. Richard Quinton.'

Curious, Lindsay stood on her toes and read the words over Danny's shoulder. She looked back at the array of hot food.

'Who's Richard Quinton?'

Tossing aside the note aside, Danny slipped the bellman a five dollar bill he pulled out of his jeans and then closed the door on the younger man. The sash on Lindsay's robe had come undone and her robe was hanging open. It was evident that the bellman had been desperately angling for a better view. Not that Danny could blame him. He crossed to the cart and picked up one of the empty plates.

'Somebody whose life I save yesterday.' There was comfort in the fact that though the title had been temporarily obscured, Danny could still read Lindsay like a book. He saw the question in her eyes. 'We were on the golf course. Quinton and the woman with him – Sally, I think he said her name was.' Danny knew damn well what her name was, knew everything that was necessary to know about the pair, down to the size of their underwear and where they went to school. He's always prided himself on being through, but there was no point in saying that now. It would only generate more questions.

'They were playing ahead of us,' he continued. Rather slowly, I might add.' He helped himself to only toast, taking two servings of strawberry jam to go with it. 'Anyway, suddenly this car comes out of nowhere, barreling down the slope. Someone must have forgotten to put on the emergency brake.' Danny poured coffee into a cup, and then pushed it towards her. Turning the second cup over, he filled it to the brim. He liked his coffee black and hot and strong when could get it. This looked more like tea. Weak Tea at that.

'And…?' Lindsay prompted.

'And if I hadn't pushed him out of the way, Richard Quinton would have died on the thirteenth hole holding a nine iron in his hand.'

He said it so simply, as if he was accustomed to saving people's lives on a regular basis. Was he? Was he a fireman or a doctor? Somehow she didn't think so. She studied him as she picked up her coffee cup. The aroma was vaguely tempting. She sipped and frowned, then poured in cream. The aroma was deceptive.

'Looks like yesterday was a busy day.' Unconsciously, she touched her forehead for emphasis. 'Too bad I can't remember it.'

Danny perched on the arm of the sofa and ate. The toast was dark and crisp, just the way he liked it. 'You will,' he reassured her.

At least he sure as hell hoped she would. He didn't want to think about the alternative right now. If he had no control over it, it made no sense to dwell on it until he could come up with a plan.

Danny nodded towards the cart. "I guess the kitchen hasn't heard about cholesterol yet.' He watched her fill her plate. Lindsay was taking something from each dish.

'Hungry?'

She hadn't realized she was until the cart had been brought in. At the sight of the food, she had felt her stomach tightening and twisting into a knot, growling. It was empty as her head. But this at least she could do something about. Lindsay looked up from her plate, placing her hand protectively over the side to keep the sausages from falling off.

'Yes, very.'

Danny picked up his last piece of toast. 'Well, that hasn't changed any; you always ate like a horse.' The assessment wasn't flattering, but it was accurate. His eyes washed over her silhouette. As long as he'd known Lindsay, there hadn't been an ounce of excess fat in her. 'Near as I can figure it, it changes into pure energy the minute it passes your lips, same principle as an old fashioned steam engine.'

She knew what he said was true, even if she couldn't remember anything specific to confirm it. Even now, confronted with this all encompassing hole in her memory, she could feel adrenaline beginning to build, adrenaline accompanied by an insatiable curiosity.

'I'm active?'

Danny grinned. Here, at least, he was on safe ground. The word active, didn't even begin to cover it. 'Indefatigable.'

She liked that, liked the description a lot better than being told that she ate like a four –legged creature who lived in a stable. The grin on his face struck like a distant chord, like a church bell being rung in a neighboring town. She liked his grin, liked the way it seemed to ripple straight under her skin. The way he was looking at her made her wonder if he meant Indefatigable to apply to everything or if he was referring to something specific. Something sexual. Had they slept together before they'd gotten married? she wondered. Or was this honeymoon a virgin run? The thought brought a smile to her lips, but she didn't ask. Some questions were going to have to be worked up to.

Danny rubbed his thumb over his fingers, getting rid of the crumbs. What was going on in that head of hers? He would have sold his soul to know... or at the very least, leased it. Danny set back the plate on the table. She was still looking at him. 'What?'

There was so much to learn, so much to experience all over again for the first time. A myriad of possibilities began to suggest themselves to her. She had a feeling that she was accustomed to making the best of things. 'I think that I'm going to have fun finding out about me.'

If this were the old Lindsay talking, he knew he would be in for trouble. But it wasn't, so maybe he'd have some slack cut him. Heaven knew he was going to need it. 'It'll be an experience,' he promised.

Danny dusted off his hands on the back of his jeans and rose. 'Well I've had my fill.' She was still working her way through her plate. And would probably have seconds, he guessed.

'You finish up. I'm going to take a shower and then we're going to see that doctor.'

Lindsay watched him walk out of the room. She couldn't shake the impression that though it was subtly done, he was rushing her. But why? They were on their honeymoon, weren't honeymoons supposed to be leisurely? Shrugging, she finished off what was left on her plate. She supposed that he just wanted to get her to the doctor to have her checked out. Maybe he was hoping the doctor could off an explanation and some sort of course of action to bring back her memory. God, she hoped so. She hated this feeling of not knowing anything. Of being only vaguely aware that she had a life before this morning. Lindsay looked down at her left hand and then towards the closed bathroom door. From the looks of it, and him, it must have been some life at that, Felling pleasantly full, she pushed the cart back and rose, then crossed to the closet. She had to find something to wear. Sliding the hangers along the pole as she took inventory, she noticed that she seemed to favour feminine looking things. Somehow that didn't feel right, but it obviously had to be, since that was all there was on her side of the closet. She would have rather worn jeans, faded ones like Danny's. Sighing she selected a straight white skirt and a cherry red pullover. Listlessly she tossed them on the bed. Lindsay glanced towards the bathroom. The water in the shower was still running. An entire battalion of questions was running through her head. A few were including their way forward to the top of the list. One in particular… If she hesitated, it was only for a second. Since she had no past to fall back on, there was no time like the present. Opening the door, Lindsay stood on the threshold for a moment. The thought that she was standing on the threshold in more ways than one whispered in her mind. An unfamiliar anticipation began to drum through her as she looked at the stall. A light, foggy haze had risen, partially obscuring the frosted glass and then man within. It was just enough to mute the details of Danny's outline. Mute them, but not erase them entirely. And certainly in no way negate the effect they had on Lindsay. Catching her lower lip between her teeth, she moved towards the shower stall.

He sensed he wasn't alone a second before the shower door opened. Turning, Danny raised his hand defensively. It dropped to his side as surprise paralyzed him. Lindsay was standing there, looking almost as surprised as he was. And she was staring at him. Staring and smiling.

He wasn't sure he'd ever seen that smile on her face before. And didn't have a single idea how to interpret it. Belated reflexes had him pulling the door out of her hand and shutting it.

'Just what the hell do you think you're doing? He demanded.

She thought that was rather obvious. What wasn't exactly obvious, at least not to her, was what had prompted her into the bathroom in the first place. But she was certainly glad she'd come. 'Looking at my husband… I was just, um, curious.'

_Oh boy…_ Danny turned up the hot water; the steam wasn't forming nearly as fast enough to satisfy him. He attempted to sound nonchalant. 'I've got all the working parts if that's what you mean'.

'Danny are you being shy…?'

**What do you guys think? Let us know by reviewing**** and thanks in advance. Things are moving along now. You will find out what is going on soon enough I promise :)**


	5. the words malpractice can open doors

Thank you for all the kind reviews. Apologies for errors that may appear in my haste to get this up… I didn't like how last night's episode turned out and so I decided I'm going to ignore that it ever happened .. Anyways I hope you enjoy this 'mostly' filler before the real action begins. Enjoy!

**Chapter 5 **

**You'd be surprised at how many doors the words 'malpractice suit' can open**

It didn't seem possible, not with a body like that. Not when they were married. Yet he had definitely seemed uncomfortable to her. She wasn't leaving. Giving up, Danny dragged the bath towel from the side of the stall, shutting off the water simultaneously. He quickly wrapped the towel around his middle and secured it.

'I'm being in a hurry,' he corrected, stepping out onto the mat. 'Emergency rooms are notorious for long waits. I want to get there as soon as possible. You don't want to waste the whole day sitting on an uncomfortable plastic chair, do you?

'No.' Fascinated, she watched drops of water negotiate a path down the lightly haired expanse of his chest. Several had already made it down, pooling in his navel. She felt a pleasant sensation wash over her. There was no logical reason why she suddenly felt that things were going to be all right, but she did. Raising her eyes from his waist and the towel settled snuggly along his hipline, she began to back out of the steamy enclosure.

'I guess I better get dressed,' she murmured. His clothes, she noticed, were hanging behind the door.

'Good idea.' He urged her out. 'I'll be with you in a minute.'

'Sure.' She found herself facing a closed door. There was a click on the other side, telling her that he had flipped the lock. Who would have thought that someone like Danny would be shy? Maybe they hadn't slept together before they'd gotten married, after all. And maybe the wedding night had set off fireworks for her. That would explain why she felt her body humming at the sight of his, fleeting though it had been. Her body had a memory, even if she didn't. Lindsay searched through the bureau drawers until she found one of her undergarments. Preoccupied, she got dressed. She wished that there was some instruction booklet she could turn to, something that could make this easier for her somehow. She felt as if she was groping around in the dark. Of course she had to admit, from what she'd seen groping might not be so bad. Despite the dark side of the situation she found herself in, Lindsay felt a smile creeping over her lips as she finished getting dressed. After all, things could be worse.

The emergency room waiting area of community general was crowded with people waiting to be seen by the resident on call. Though he didn't say anything, she could feel Danny's impatience as he took in the scene.

Lindsay caught Danny's arm. 'Maybe we should come back later,' she suggested.

There didn't seem to be much of a reason to wait around, anyway. She'd actually come more to see if something looked familiar to her from the other night than to be examined again. She had a sinking feeling the doctor wasn't going to be able to do anything for her.

Danny wasn't about to leave. 'Later's no good. We're here now,' he added before she could ask him why later presented a problem. Danny nodded toward one of the last available chairs. 'Sit down over there, I'll be right back.'

Leaving her, Danny crossed to the woman at the out-patient desk. From where she sat, Lindsay could see that the woman was busy with another patient. Danny leaned over the desk and whispered something into the woman's ear. The receptionist response was short and terse. The discussion ended there. Turning from the desk, Danny waved for Lindsay to join him. She crossed to him, wondering if the receptionist was going to ask her for some information she wouldn't be able to provide.

Danny took her arm and ushered her to the side. He lowered his voice. 'The doctor'll see us in a couple of minutes.'

As he said it, an orderly came out to bring them to a small room off to the side of the admission desk that was reserved for private consultations. Lindsay stared at Danny. They had just gone ahead of a roomful of people.

'What did you say to her?'

Danny ran his hand along the back of his neck. His damp hair was just beginning to dry. It curled at the nape of his neck. He wished the itchy feeling would go away, but it persisted. It probably would until this was all over, he guessed. He grinned as he spared her a glance. 'You'd be surprised at how many doors the words 'malpractice suit' can open.

Her eyes widened, 'You threatened them?'

Danny frowned. When he did, she noticed that all his charm turned into glinting steel. 'It's not a threat; it's more like thinking out loud, a definite possibility to consider. The doctor told me that you'd be fine, that you _were_ fine. Not remembering your own name isn't fine in my book'.

The momentary anger she saw rise in his eyes held her at bay. There was an aura of danger about him she hadn't detected before. She began to suspect that Danny Messer was not a man to trifle with.

The physician on call, Dr. Mondino, a harried-looking man in his late forties, tugged at the stethoscope that was slung around his neck. It was a habitual gesture, born of frustration and a sense of impotence. He'd been unable to answer the questions posed to him to anyone's satisfaction, least of all his own. Mondino shook his head, when he looked at Lindsay; his eyes were full of genuine sympathy.

'Were stumbling around in the dark with amnesia, if you forgive the comparison.' He was relieved when Lindsay nodded. 'There's no certainty when it comes to amnesia.' He avoided looking at the man on his left. 'Its selectivity isn't something was can even explain. You could remember everything tomorrow – or not.'

Lindsay didn't like the sound of that. 'When you say 'or not', just now how long a period of time are we talking about..?'

Dr Mondino spread his hands helplessly, they weren't dealing with an exact science here. 'Any length of time.'

Lindsay could feel the air backing up in her lungs. Having Danny to occupy her mind with, she'd temporally pushed the severity of the situation aside. It glared at her now like a cold, cruel specter. She hazarded a guess. 'Like a year..?'

Mondino inclined his head. It would be cruel to let her think there was some predictable end in sight. 'Or –'

Danny jumped on the word. 'Or forever..?'

He knew before he asked what the answer would be and silently cursed it. There was no one to blame but himself, he thought. Even if he couldn't have foreseen this, he was still to blame. He should have found a way to make her stay in the hotel room. It had only been necessary for one of them to do. Damn Lindsay and her competitiveness. The question made Mondino uneasy, but he had to be honest. A doctor owed a patient that.

'Yes.' He saw the colour drain out of the woman's face. 'But the odds are against it,' Mondino added hurriedly.

'Odds I guess this is the city for it,' Danny muttered, A bitter taste rose up in his throat. He swallowed it back. Mondino brightened at what he took to be a shred of optimism.

'That it is.' He enveloped Lindsay's hand in paw-like hands that had precluded his ever picking up a surgical scalpel. They might not be skilled at surgery, but they could offer comfort. 'And your wife appears to be very healthy in all other respects.'

There was a knock on the door, cutting him short. He knew other patients were waiting to see him. Mondino leaned on the doorknob. 'I'm sure that this will eventually pass.' His eyes shifted to Danny's face. 'Just try to be reassuring and supportive. Talk about things that are familiar to her. I'm afraid that it's a wait – and – see situation.'

Danny hated playing waiting games. He'd never been very good at them; even when the stakes were high, but there was obviously nothing else he could do except wait. He stopped the doctor as he was leaving. 'Why did it happen like this? I mean, why didn't she lose her memory when she hit her head instead of this morning when she woke up?'

Mondino shook his head. 'Damned if I know.' He saw the way the man and woman exchanged glances. The answer didn't satisfy them. They weren't the only ones. 'We've made an awful lot of strides in the past few decades, but there is still a lot about the brain that is still a mystery to us.' He pulled several business cards out of his deep pockets and flipped through them until he found the one he wanted. He offered it to Danny. 'I could refer you to a neurologist here, but he'll probably tell you the same thing I did. You just have to wait.'

Danny took the card, pocketing it, he could tell by the look on Lindsay's face that she wasn't eager to see another doctor, not if it meant being told the same thing. He couldn't say that he blamed her.

Mondino crossed the threshold, and then paused, as if suddenly remembering. He hesitated. 'About that lawsuit…' There was no point in making the man twist in the wind.

'There won't be one,' Lindsay told him. Danny looked at her, surprised. Well that hadn't changed. Lindsay always liked to take charge of things. That was her problem. And right now it became his as well.

'We'll be in touch,' he told the doctor, negating her assurance. When Lindsay opened her mouth to protest he placed his arm around her and ushered her through the waiting area.

'You never know, we might need to come back here,' he whispered firmly, stilling the question on the tip of her tongue. 'This'll give us an edge, so that we don't have to wait forever.'

She supposed he knew best. Right now, he was the only one who knew anything, she thought darkly. With a sigh, she walked out through the electronic doors ahead of him. Outside she looked up at the sky, there wasn't a single cloud in sight. It was crystal clear, with a sky so blue it made her sould ache. For now, she supposed that she could be contebt just to be alive and married to a man who looked to be a twelve on anyone's one – to – ten scale. Making the best of it Lindsay surprised Danny by threading her arm through his,

'All right, now what?'

He brought her over to the car. 'Now we get back to the hotel.' Danny opened the passenger door and held it as she got in.

That didn't sound very romantic, or very interesting. She waited until Danny got in on his side and started up the car. 'Isnt there someplace else we could go?'

Danny inserted the token that the woman at the desk had given him into the slot at the gate. The striped security barrier rose to let them pass.

'Like where?'

'I don't know.' She shrugged, feeling restless. 'It seems so lovely out and I though that maybe we could go somewhere and just talk.'

He guided the car into the moderate traffic. 'We can talk at the hotel. Besies, we're meeting Richard Quinton at one. Danny glanced at the digital numbers in the dashboard. It was just past noon.

'Our breakfast benefactor,' she recalled. It wasn't difficult to remember that when there wasn't much in the way of thoughts in her mind.

Danny nodded without looking at her. 'That's the one.'

She shifted in her seat to look at him. 'I know that I'm kind of new at this, at everything, actually, but shouldn't newlyweds be alone?'

Was she going to give him trouble after all? 'This isn't the town for being alone, besides we have lots of time to be alone later.' Glancing in her direction, Danny was unable to read the look on her face. 'Anyway, the more people there are around you, the more chances that something someone says might bring back your memory, or at least jog it.'

'I suppose'

She sounded unconvinced. He didn't have the time to argue about this. Since there wasn't anything that could do about her memory, he was going to keep her in the dark for now. And hope that the light didn't come on at the wrong time. He changed the topic. 'How do you feel?'

'You mean other than the fact that my mind feels like this huge shapeless snowbank?'She shrugged thinking. 'Fine, nothing seems to hurt, even the headache's gone.'

'Good.'

They were talking like strangers. It was time they communicated more like a husband and wife. 'Listen, I've got a lot of questions-'

'Fire away.' Danny braced himself as he took a corner. Her headache might have abated, but he had a feeling that his was just beginning…

**What do you guys think? Let us know by reviewing ****since I'm still relatively new to this fan fiction world so I would like to see how I'm going :). Things are moving along nicely now… Lets see how Danny reacts to Lindsay's 'questions' … until next time**


	6. Say that you love me

Heres the latest in this story. Some of you have been suggesting some things and I think this little bit may answer some questions for you. Anyways here is another filler since I have no time to sleep let alone write, this will have to do for now until I can have some time to sit and reanalyze and prioritize my ideas!

Anyways I am choosing to ignore the events of CSI NY at present otherwise I would have to stop writing DL and I don't want to do that… anyways enjoy … again mistakes may be present due to the haste of the writing : )

**Chapter 6 – '****Say that you love me'**

There were so many questions buzzing through her mind, swarming like bees at the entrance of a hive. Lindsay didn't know where to start. Maybe the beginning would be a good place. 'How did we meet?'

_Amongst the animals__. _Instantly, the image rose up in Danny's mind, crystal clear and sharp, allowing him to relive the first time that he had ever laid eyes on her face. A smile tugged on his lips. Strictly speaking that wasn't exactly an accurate description. The first thing he got a glimpse of was not her face but her rear end. She'd backed into him to get to Mac at the tiger's cage when he was taking photos of the crime scene. As he recalled, even in all the excitement, he'd been struck by just what a nice tight little butt it was. The rest of her hadn't turned out to be a disappointment either. He stopped three elderly women began making their way across the street in the centre of the block. They walked in small leisurely steps, as if secure in the fact that since they have lived this ling, nothing was about to change that. Probably on their way to play the slot machines, he thought. 'Through mutual friends,' he finally told her. The answer was deliberately vague. The mutual friends they had he couldn't talk about at the moment. He had to keep this simple. To lead her through the maze that actually existed in hopes that she would remember something might place everything he'd worked for in jeopardy.

He wasn't exactly a font of information, Lindsay thought. Maybe they'd met a long time ago and he couldn't remember. 'What were their names?' she prodded.

Names, she wanted names. Glancing around the long boulevard, he saw a billboard announcing a headlining act that was opening at one of the hotels on the first of the month. She was looking at him and not the road. He took a chance. 'Cassidy. Joe and Aimee Cassidy,' he elaborated. Danny prayed she would quiz him on this later. He wasn't all that good at names unless his life depended on it. And even then, he'd been known to slip. 'They were giving a New Year's Eve party.' Taking his foot of the brake as the last of the women reached the opposite curb, Danny got into his story and embellished. 'I kissed you to ring I the new year.'

That sounded romantic, she mused. Was he a romantic? He didn't quite seem like one, although, she mocked herself, how would she know? 'How long ago?'

'This year.' He looked at her ring. 'It was something of a whirlwind courtship.'

'Then we liked each other right away?' She didn't see how it could have been otherwise, at least as far as she was concerned, Danny exuded a tantalizing, almost dangerous sexuality that she knew she must have found instantly attractive. She did now. It seemed to cut through everything, like a dark marker underlining every word in a paragraph.

They'd clashed immediately, Danny thought. It had been a duel for control right from the start. At times it still was. In a way, it was what made things exciting, but he wished he'd won the battle last night. Shooting through the light just before the amber colour turned red, he nodded. 'You might say there were instant fireworks.' At least that much was true.

Lindsay was unaware of nodding to herself. That sounded right. 'I kind of had a feeling.'

Danny raised a brow, 'Why?'

Lindsay shifted beneath the restraining seat belt, her body all but twisted toward his. She had one foot tucked beneath her. A habit, Danny thought, her body obviously remembered even if she didn't.

'Because I feel it now,' she told him. She saw no reason not to be honest.

'Really?' It was hard to keep the grin from surfacing, but he didn't want her to think he was laughing at her. Was she ever going to hate him once she remembered everything! Still he had to admit that it was tempting to let this line of conversation go on just a little bit longer.

'And what is it exactly that you feel?' Danny tried his best to look as innocent as possible.

She combed both hands through her hair and then let it fall. There was a restlessness in her. She could almost feel it growing. That, and a pull. A huge, powerful pull towards Danny.

'I guess they'd call it chemistry.' She thought about it for a second. There was a freedom in knowing she was married. 'I'm glad we're married and there doesn't have to be any game playing, because I find you awfully sexy.' He wasn't saying anything, was that typical? She laid her hand on his arm and he slanted a look at her before looking back at the road. The Tangiers was just ahead. 'Don't you find me attractive?'

Yeah he did. Very. But he'd learned to live with it. It only clouded things. He didn't turn to look at her. 'That goes without saying.'

He answered the way she would have imagined a man who had been married for a long time might. But they had just gotten married and she wanted more. She tried to make him understand. 'Right now, nothing goes without saying.' Lindsay paused, waiting. He didn't seem to be very quick on the uptake. 'Say it,' she whispered.

Lies always come easily to him. That was a matter of necessity. It was the truth he had trouble with. 'I find you attractive.'

She sighed. He didn't understand what she needed to hear. 'Not that.'

Her memory might be gone, but she certainly hadn't forgotten how to be a pain in the butt. Danny curbed his impatience. At the same time, he realized that he was a great deal tenser than he was happy about, and it didn't exactly have to do with what he was working on.

'Then what?'

'Say that you love me…'

**Well what you think? Please review to let me know :) There are hints in there that the situation is not what it seems… until next time**


	7. Ive got you why would i want anyone else

**Here****'s the latest in this story again mistakes may be present due to the haste of the writing : ) This latest chapter moves along just a bit hopefully within the next few chapters the story will be further explained to you all…. For now enjoy :) Oh and you get some DL action … **

**Chapter 7**** - **'**I've got you. Why would I notice anyone else?'**

She knew she was almost begging him to tell her, but right now that didn't matter. Pride took second place to need. 'I think I need to hear it.'

She didn't think, she knew. She needed to hear it, to believe it, because more than anything, she needed something to cling to, to work with. A foundation on which she could build, knowing that he loved her would give her that beginning.

He'd never said it to anyone – not those exact words, anyway. He'd implied it and let woman draw their own conclusions, but the words themselves had never actually left his lips. He knew that is he would ever have said them, it would have been her. Irritation joined hands with impatience. Some of it, he knew was unreasonable. Danny rubbed his nape, feeling the itch beginning all over again. Glancing at her, he muttered, 'I love you.'

Disappointed, Lindsay frowned. He'd said it with as much feeling as someone asking for an order of fries from a cardboard clown at a drive through. 'You don't sound like you mean it.'

'I mean it,' he ground out, and then felt a shaft of guild puncture him. She'd just gone through hell, was still going through it. The least he could do was make it a little easier on her. 'I don't cue very well, okay? A man picks his own time to say that he loves a woman – at least, I do. That doesn't mean that the feelings aren't there.'

There, that should placate her. Then, because it was Lindsay, because he really did care about her, Danny added, 'I guess I'm really just a little tense because I'm worried about you. I've never been faced with a situation I didn't know how to handle before.'

She could well believe that. He looked like a man accustomed to having things go his way, or _making_ them go his way if necessary. As for saying, 'I love you.' She supposed that some men had trouble voicing their feelings, even to their wives. She flashed him an apologetic look. 'I'm sorry; I guess I'm just being overly anxious right now.

'Small wonder.' He blew out a breath. All in all, she was handling this pretty well. 'Hell, I don't know how I would react to waking up and finding myself in some strange hotel room without the vaguest idea of who and where I was.'

Except for the identity part, there had been a time or three when he had come to in unfamiliar surrounds. But he'd never been stripped of his chief asset – his mind. That would have been very, very difficult for him to come to terms with. That she hadn't broken down just proved what he had already known – that Lindsay was one hell of a strong lady. Danny reached over and covered her hand with his own. 'We'll get through this, Lindsay. Just hang in there and trust me, no matter what.'

What an odd thing to say, she thought. Why shouldn't she trust him? Was there some kind of cryptic message in his words? Without warning, she suddenly had the eeriest feeling….

But then, just as suddenly, it was gone again before she could grasp it. A wet tissue breaking up in the wind. Maybe later.

Danny drove the rented car up to the front of the hotel. A tall, strapping valet dressed like a eunuch standing guard in a sultan's harem strode over to them and opened the door for Lindsay. It tickled her sense of the absurd. 'Nice outfit,' she told the man.

Brilliant white teeth flashed against a dark complexion. 'Hey, it's different.' The valet held his wide palm out, waiting for keys.

Danny surrendered one of the two sets he always made a point to keep on him. It was one of his idiosyncrasies, but the extras were known to come in handy at times. Lindsay stepped away from the curb and into Danny. As her body brushed against his, she could feel the electricity almost jumping between them. Their eyes met and held for a long moment.

'I picked a hell of a time to lose my memory,' she murmured with regret. 'On my honeymoon.' She raised her face to his. 'But it doesn't have to get in the way of things.'

'No,' he agreed cautiously. What was she up to? 'It doesn't.'

'We can still have a good time.'

He had a feeling right now their definition of a good time differed drastically. 'Yes, I'm sure that we can.'

It was almost one o'clock. He had arranged for them to meet with Quinton and his mistress at the ground level pool at one. They had to get going. But first, he wanted to take certain precautions. He didn't want to risk things getting fouled up. He placed his hands on Lindsay's shoulders, commanding her complete attention.

'Listen, Linds, we have to meet Quinton now. I think it might be for the best if you don't make a big deal about your amnesia.

That was an odd way to put it. He made It sound as if her amnesia was an annoying little inconvenience, like a tiny blemish the night before a date. A minute ago he'd sounded concerned; now he was trying to sweep it under the rug. Why the sudden change?

'Big deal?' she echoed.

He knew he'd phrased it wrong the minute it was out of his mouth, but he didn't have time to smooth it over for her. Taking Lindsay by the arm, Danny walked into the hotel's casino.

'Just don't mention it to them, all right?'

It wasn't something she'd intended to blurt out right after saying hello, but she'd understand why he wanted her to not say anything at all.

'Why?'

Because it might inadvertently ruin everything. He didn't want either of them questioning her in an attempt to see what they could make her remember. She might remember the wrong thing and blurt it out. He knew he couldn't say that to her without having to explain other things, as well.

'I'll probably make them feel uncomfortable.' She supposed that did make sense but still…

'Won't they wonder if I don't know the answer to things they might ask me?' There were all sorts of common, everyday things that she had no knowledge of. She looked at him in frustration. 'I don't know what my address is, or where I was born.' She tried now to let that get to her. 'What if they ask me what I like to do in my spare time? What am I going to say? Noting? They'll think I'm an idiot.'

They wove their way through the lobby, heading toward the rear door and the pool beyond. Danny fell back on the truth. 'You were born in Bozeman. Montana.' And then he began to fabricate. 'We live in L.A.' He gave her an address that would have checked out if necessary. Probably had been checked out already, he thought, if what he knew about Quinton was true. 'And you like going to the movies. Everything but horror, you like comedies the best, although you hate slapstick. And they won't think you're an idiot, although they sort of have the impression that you're scatterbrained.'

Lindsay abruptly stopped walking, nearly bumping into a waiter carrying a tray full of tall glasses that looked like a liquid rainbow. Scatterbrained? That _really_ didn't feel right. 'Why would they think I was scatterbrained?'

Because that was what he'd wanted them to think. It put Quinton off his guard a little. Quinton was accustomed to women being ornamental, remaining in the background and being easily diverted.

Danny shrugged, making light of it. 'The first time we met them you were talking really fast and saying didn't think before you said some inappropriate things to them, but they don't know you like I do, you were just joking around.'

Well she did speak quickly but that was no reason to come to that conclusion. 'But I'm not.'

He didn't want to be late. There was a great deal ridding on this meeting and the additional groundwork it would lay. He gently ushered her in the right direction. Quinton was visible from here. 'Not what?' He was hurrying. She had to walk quickly to keep up.

'Scatterbrained. Ditzy.' Maybe he thought she was. 'Am I?'

There were times when she could think rings around him, and other times when he could have sworn she had the mind of a child. But even then at her most infuriating, he would never have said she was dumb. Danny shook his head. 'No, you're not.'

It was a relief to know he didn't think so. 'Then why would they think…?'

'People tend to stereotype.' He shrugged the matter off. 'Look, there they are now.'

There were a lot of people in the pool and even more around the perimeter, both in lounging chairs and at the canopied tables that were strategically placed not to interfere with foot traffic. The odds of picking out the right couple were completely against her, especially since she didn't know who she was looking for. Still her reflexes had her looking around. 'Where?'

Danny pointed to the left. 'There. The waiter just walked by them.

'Quinton looks like the guy who played James Bond. The first one.' Danny stopped. 'Do you know..?'

She knew what he was going to ask. 'Yes, oddly enough, I do know who you're talking about' Even if she was still a mystery to herself.

Lindsay looked in the general direction where he was pointing and picked out the waiter, then looked just behind him. There was an older man sitting at one of the larger tables besides a stunning brunette who appeared to be filling out the scarlet sundress she was wearing quite well.

Danny was right – Quinton did look like Sean Connery. Very suave and sophisticated. He was wearing immaculate white slacks and a navy pullover, open at the throat. What looked like a designer insignia was discreetly resting over the single pocket. As they drew closer to the pair, the scent of a pricey cologne mingled with a whiff of heady perfume and the smell of suntan lotion. No a sun block, Lindsay amended. The brunette was fair enough to have passed for Snow White. An X-rated Snow White. The hem of her dress was carelessly gathered around her thighs. It was artfully arranged carelessness, Lindsay realized, judging by the knowing look on the woman's face.

Lindsay shifted her eyes to look at Danny, was he aroused by woman who were well endowed enough for two? In comparison, Lindsay felt that she looked like a boy. Her build leaned towards athletic. Inclining his head, Danny whispered last – minute information into Lindsay's ear. 'Their names are Richard and Sally.'

Sally the name was far too average to suit the woman. 'What is she to him?'

'Ecstasy, probably.' Quinton liked his women willing and hot. Sally looked as if she was both. The tennis necklace at her throat, with stones that looked like small robin's eggs, were a testimonial to the fact that she did her job well.

Lindsay sniffed. 'If you like that sort of thing.' She commented, her lips barely moving. The unabashed display of jealousy tickled him. It wasn't something he would have expected from Lindsay. But then, this wasn't really Lindsay.

'I'm sure he does.'

She had to ask. 'Do you?'

Well she was certainly direct. He'd almost replied that he wouldn't have kicked Sally out of bed but managed to catch himself just in time. Under the circumstances, it wouldn't have been a prudent thing to say.

'I've got you.' Danny pressed a kiss to her temple. 'Why would I notice anyone else?'

She doubted if any man wouldn't have noticed Sally but it was a nice thing to hear.

Grateful for the lie, pleased that he'd offered it to her. Lindsay stopped just short of Quinton's table. Impulsively, she rose on her toes, framed Danny's face with her hands and kissed him. His surprised expression, just before their lips met amused her.

A moment later, Danny knew just what Lindsay had to be going through right now. Within seconds of contact, Danny discovered that his head was completely depleted of all thoughts, all memory, everything. Everything but the cataclysmic effect that her mouth had on his. He could feel his blood heating even as wonder bloomed with his breast. Aroused, curious, he drew her into his arms and let the kiss deepen even further. Lindsay? Was this Lindsay? Just what had that bump on her head done to her? And what was she doing to him?

**Well what you think? ****Hopefully the DL action has satisfied you until next time… ;) Please review to let me know :) … until next time when Lindsay 'meets' Quinton officially …**


	8. do it to quickly you might get the bends

**Here****'s the latest in this story again mistakes may be present due to the haste of the writing … hope you all enjoy :) Thank you for the kind reviews… Hopefully this chapter you will get a feel for Quinton's character… Enjoy :)**

**Chapter 8 - You do it too quickly and you might get the bends**

The chasm below opened wider, letting him complete his free fall through space and time.

Wow. The single word said nothing and everything. Her body was practically singing as she molded it to his. If she'd had any doubts that they were meant to be one, there was none left now. Biting back a moan, she twined her arms around his neck. This felt wonderful. She felt as if she'd found a piece of herself here, in his arms, in his kiss. The rest of her had to be there somewhere. She wanted to go up to their suite with him and find it.

Quinton's deep chuckle abruptly returned Lindsay to stark reality. Lindsay drew her mouth away from Danny's with a reluctant sigh. But it took a moment before the throbbing subsided. The expression on Quinton's lips was more of an appreciative leer than a smile.

'Well I was just about to give up on you two, now I see what the delay was.' Quinton laughed heartily at his own observation. His smile widened. Despite its breadth, there was something chilly about it, Lindsay thought. 'I was beginning to think that I'd have to dump the champagne bucket on you two to put out the fire.'

Danny stepped away from Lindsay; through he kept a proprietary arm around her waist. He shouldn't have let that happen. Pretending to behave like a newlywed was one thing, but he wasn't supposed to get carried away in his part. Reacting to Lindsay had been a totally unprofessional lapse on his part. He'd never allowed feelings to interfere with a job before. He was going to have to be careful. Clearing his head, Danny pulled out a chair for Lindsay.

'Sorry, I guess I got a little carried away.' That much was true. But it shouldn't have been.

Small, deep – set eyes moved along Lindsay's body as Quinton clearly imagined himself in Danny's place. 'Can't say I blame you. If I'd just gotten married to her, I wouldn't allow her leave the suite for at least a week.' When they narrowed, his gray eyes grew flinty. 'The only thing that would interest me would be keeping her naked and happy for as a long as possible.'

Though the words were meant to be flattering, the breakfast Lindsay had consumed threatened to come up. Reluctantly, she took the seat Danny held out for her. She would be rather having sat between the woman and Danny instead of beside Quinton, but there was no way to do that without calling attention to it. 'Danny's managing very well.'

Lindsay felt compelled to come to his defenses. Or was that her own she was seeing to? She had a feeling that despite the fact that Sally looked like a woman more Quinton could handle, Quinton wasn't the type to be satisfied with a monogamous relationship. Danny shrugged, taking a seat beside Lindsay. 'A man's got to come up for air sometime.'

More discreet than her companion because she had much more to lose, Sally allowed her eyes to roam over Danny's hard torso.

'You do it too quickly and you might get the bends,' she purred. Lips as scarlet as her dress drew back slowly in a smile that was meant to be exactly what it was. Seductive.

Lindsay felt her temper rising. That and her hackles. Why did Danny want to be around these people, anyway? She wished Quinton would stop looking at her like that, as if he was undressing her. And she wished that Danny would _start_ looking at her that way. The kiss they'd shared, the first one as far as she was concerned, proved to Lindsay that even if Danny might not be vocal about his feelings for her, they were certainly there.

Anticipation began to whisper through her. She turned toward Danny and smiled. She supposed she could put up with this for a while for his sake, since it seemed to mean so much to him. Once they were alone again, she was going to find out why it did. Uncomfortable with not saying anything, she looked at Quinton. 'Breakfast was very good. Thank you.'

'Breakfast?' for a moment, Quinton looked at her blankly, then remembered. 'Oh, you mean the cart I had sent over.' He waved her thanks off as less than nothing. 'It was the very least I could do, seeing as how I wouldn't be here if it weren't for your husband.'

Quinton frowned, annoyed when he thought of the incident. He didn't believe in accidents. The car hadn't just happened to be there. Someone had meant to kill him.

'I still haven't managed to find out who the car belongs to.' The plated had turned out to belong to a man who had been dead more than three years. That, to, he knew was no accident. But a man in his position had a great many enemies. It was part of the territory. Quinton couldn't find out about the driver anytime soon. Danny thought confidently.

Lindsay could understand the other man's impatience. 'Sometimes it takes the police a while to track the things down.' She was relieved that Danny had explained the incident to her. At least she had something to talk about intelligently. She hated feeling out of it, or worse like a dolt.

'Police?' the laugh had an amused, if disparaging ring to it.

Lindsay caught the glance Quinton exchanged with Sally. She'd obviously said something funny. Or stupid.

'My dear young woman, why would I bother calling the police in?'

Was that a trick question? 'To track down the license?' Lindsay said slowly.

She could see by Quinton's expression that he did think she was lightweight as far as brains went. Lindsay could feel her anger rising. The light in her eyes was not an unfamiliar one to Danny. He placed a gentling hand over hers. It was meant to restrain her if necessary.

'I don't need the police for that.' Quinton explained. 'I have my own, more effective ways of looking into things.'

He regarded her for a moment as if he was going to say something further, then let it go. Lindsay had the distinct impression that he didn't think it was worth the effort. Instead, Quinton turned his attention to the silver bucket at his side. 'Well, enough about unpleasantness. Who would like some champagne?' not waiting for an answer, he drew the dark green bottle out.

She didn't feel like drinking with them, and certainly not so early. 'It's only one o'clock,' Lindsay protested. A tinge of contempt entered Sally's eyes as she offered her glass to Quinton. Rather than fill it, he held the bottle out for Lindsay's glass, waiting.

'Perhaps here, but it must be midnight somewhere.'

She saw the look in Danny's eyes. He didn't want her calling attention to herself. Resigned, she moved her glass forward. 'Yes,' she agreed, 'I guess it must be.'

**Well what you think? Please review to let me know :) … until next time**


	9. They? who are they?

**Here****'s the latest in this story again mistakes may be present due to the haste of the writing … hope you all enjoy :) Thank you for the kind reviews… Sorry I haven't updated sooner, life is getting in the way of my 'creative juices' anyways enjoy and please review so I know how I'm going :) **

Smooth - that was the word for the man. Richard Quinton was handsome, polished, sophisticated and he was knowledgeable on a variety of subjects. The perfect Renaissance man. And yet here was something about him, something Lindsay couldn't quite put her finger on, that made her uncomfortable. Maybe he was too suave. He didn't seem quite real to her. The man's eyes missed nothing. She could tell. They made her think of the eyes of a sleek jungle cat watching the brush, waiting for prey to emerge. Cold eyes. He was the kind of man she wouldn't have wanted to number among her acquaintances. She wondered why Danny had been so eager to place him there. They has sat at the umbrella-shaded table for the better part of an hour. Quinton had dominated most of the conversation. Sally barely joined in, except to agree with him in a distracted fashion. Lindsay had a feeling Quinton didn't appreciate her manner, though he said nothing. For the most part, it seemed to her that Quinton was sizing Danny up. The fact disturbed her and aroused protective feelings within her. She thought longingly of an intimate lunch and knew it wasn't going to happen. Danny looked perfectly content sitting here, talking to Quinton. He had the air of someone who had definitely settled in for a long visit. Maybe dinner would be better. The conversation progressed by stages. As it went from general topics such as weather and accommodations to more specific things, Lindsay could see the shift in attitude. Danny became more animated, more involved. He was doing more talking to Quinton than he had to her. Making the best of it, Lindsay listened and tried to glean information. Danny was just beginning to touch on things that piqued her curiosity when one of the costumed bellman approached their table. When she saw him, Lindsay thought he was a waiter but there was no menu tucked under his naked, muscular arm. Neither Quinton nor Sally gave any indication of interest in food. Lunch for them apparently was of the liquid variety. The bellman leaned solicitously over Danny, causing the conversation to abruptly halted.

'Excuse me, Mr Messer?' Danny inclined his head in response. 'There's a telephone call for you.'

Lindsay stared at the bellman, surprised that he was able to pick Danny out. There was so many people around the pool; how had he recognized Danny?

Quinton toasted Danny with what was left in his glass. 'I'm impressed. They know who you are here.' The fact that they did placed Danny in a small, intimate group. The same one that he was in. Danny casually lifted a shoulder and let it drop. His manner said that this was not anything new or surprising.

'It might be because I'm a large tipper.' Quinton, Danny knew enjoyed having people dance attendance on him in hopes of being rewarded. He looked up at the outlandishly costumed man. 'Can you bring a phone to the table for me, please? The bellman looked genuinely apologetic. 'I'm sorry, sir but they're all in use at the moment. I'm afraid that you'll have to take the call at the front desk. Or I can take a message for you.'

Danny shook his head. 'That wouldn't be wise. Not if they think its important enough to track me down here and disrupt my honeymoon.'

_They? Who are they? _Lindsay wondered. And why was someone calling him here?

**Well what you think? Please review to let me know :) … until next time**


	10. Mrs Messer do you like to be entertained

**Here****'s the latest in this story … its short but life is getting in the way of my 'creative juices' and hence no update for quite some time. Thank you for the kind reviews… hope you enjoy and please review so I know how I'm going :)**

**Chapter 10**

'**So, Mrs Messer, just how would you like to be entertained'**

They? Who were they? Lindsay wondered. And why was someone calling him here? She realized that though she had begun to ask several times, she still didn't know what Danny did for a living. He'd either been interrupted or vague in his response. Just as he had been about why they had to meet with Quinton.

Danny rose, a resigned expression on his face. 'I'll only be a minute,' he promised Quinton. Turning toward Lindsay, he saw the tiny spark of panic entering her eyes. She didn't want him to leave. He didn't want to leave her alone with these people, either, but it was unavoidable. They wouldn't have come looking for him if it hadn't been. Something was up. He'd be as quick as he could. Danny leaned over her and squeezed her hand.

'It's okay,' he whispered. His manner more than his words were meant to reassure her. He looked at Quinton before following the bellman. 'Why don't you entertain my wife while I'm gone?'

Quinton's smile spread slowly as he looked at Lindsay. 'I would be honored.' The words were polite harmless. She couldn't have said the same about the look in his eyes. She was being ridiculous, she upbraided herself. Was she that much of a coward that she needed her husband around constantly to hold her hand? Danny appeared to already be forgotten as Quinton leaned over the table and took her hand. 'So, Mrs Messer, just how would you like to be entertained?

**Well what you think? Please review to let me know :) … until next time**


	11. Make sure they give you a telephone

Here's the latest in this story again mistakes may be present due to the haste of the writing … hope you all enjoy :) Thank you for the kind reviews… Sorry I haven't updated sooner, please review so I know how I'm going :) Its longer and this may seem like filler but trust me im building up to some D/L action soon ... Please R & R :)

**Chapter 11 – 'Make sure they give you a telephone'**

It didn't take a clairvoyant to tell her what Quinton would have had in mind, had they been alone. Trapped Lindsay decided to turn her situation to her advantage. Maybe she could find out a few things, such as why this man and Danny seem to have an affinity for each other. She toyed with her glass. 'You could tell me what you do for a living.'

Quinton's brow rose sharply at the casual remark. Like a miser who had suddenly realized that a nickel was missing from his coffers. His easygoing tone was in direct conflict with the expression in his eyes 'Now why would you want to know something as boring as that?'

_Because I don't have anything to say myself and I can't just sit here like a mindless dolt, searching for something to talk about. _

From out of nowhere, a movie scenario came to her and because she had no idea what her own personality was, Lindsay slipped into the persona of an actress in a role. She was Audrey Hepburn in _Sabrina_. Elfin and charming. In a pinch that would do nicely. Turning the conversation around to Quinton, Lindsay leaned forward, her head resting on her upturned palm. She looked at the large gold ring on his hand. There was a square cut diamond in the center that rivaled hers. She'd already gotten the feeling that Quinton and monetary woes were not acquainted.

'It can't be all that boring if you can afford a ring like that.'

Quinton looked at the ring as if e hadn't seen it for quite some time.

For a moment, he watched the sun sparkle in the stone, then shifted his gaze to Lindsay's hand. 'It pales in comparison to the one on your hand, my dear.'

He signaled to the waiter, holding the empty bottle aloft. The message was clear. Satisfied that the waiter understood, he slid the bottle back into the bucket.

Quinton cocked his head as he appraised Lindsay.

'Do you like jewelry Mrs Messer?'

She knew that Danny would have wanted her to personalize the conversation and take it to the next plateau, but she couldn't force herself to make the man call her by her first name. Instead she smiled. 'Yes, I do.'

Lindsay didn't have to be told that Quinton thought all women loved jewelry and clothes. For all his sophistication, he had the air of a man who had pigeonholed women. But for Lindsay, the stone on her hand didn't hold any particular interest, other than as a symbol of the bond she had with Danny. She said what she felt Quinton expected to hear. It was easier that way. She looked at the tennis necklace around Sally's neck. The woman was deliberately fingering it to call her attention to the stones. Lindsay saw no harm letting the woman preen.

'That's a beautiful necklace you have.'

The smile on Sally's lips was coolly smug. 'Yes, I know.' Her brown eyes slanted toward Quinton.

'It was given to me as a token of appreciation.'

The waiter returned with another bottle of champagne, standing to Quinton's right. The smile on Quinton's lips, froze. It matched the frost in his eyes.

'My left, you dolt. Hasn't anyone trained you properly? You're supposed to stand on my left.'

As if prodded by the point of a sword, the waiter quickly moved to Quinton's other side. The scowl lifted as Quinton took the bottle from him. 'That's better.'

Sally noticed the confused look in Lindsay's eyes. She took pleasure in enlightening her. 'Richard has superstitions.'

Lindsay couldn't quite tell if the fact amused the woman or not. She didn't risk a smile, but her eyes told another story.

'Patterns,' Quinton corrected her. 'Patterns I see no reason to go against. You change a pattern, you change things that depend on them for an outcome.' He looked kindly at Lindsay. 'Sometimes, however, a change is for the good. Such as you and your husband appearing when you did on the golf course yesterday. You realize of course, that this makes you my good luck charms now?'

She didn't know if he was kidding, she had an uneasy feeling that he was very serious, despite the smile on his lips.

Well this was certainly getting uncomfortable. Lindsay glanced around hoping to see Danny walking toward them. He'd promise to be right back. How many minutes were there in 'right back' anyway?

Lindsay pushed back her chair. 'Maybe I should see what's keeping Danny,' she suggested to her host, rising to her feet.

Quinton stopped pouring champagne and caught her hand, his fingers closing around her wrist like a tight fitting band. Lindsay didn't know who was more surprised – her or Sally.

'Surely you don't plan to desert me, as well, do you?' He set the bottle on the table beside his glass as he looked up at her. Lindsay tried not to stiffen as she felt Quinton run his thumb along the inside of her wrist. 'You know,' he began speculatively, 'your wrist is quite dainty. It strikes me as being just the right size for a bracelet that has recently come into my possession. Diamond. Five carats.' He said the words matter-of-factly as he watched her face. 'A client couldn't pay his bill. He tendered the bracelet to me instead. I've been debating what o do with it ever since.'

Lindsay looked at Sally. Was this the man's way of getting back at the woman for her comment about his having superstitions? Anger glinted in Sally's eyes, but she said nothing.

'I'm afraid my husband wouldn't like that.' Lindsay informed him politely. 'Perhaps you should give it to Sally.'

'I'll decide who to give it to'

This was much too uncomfortable for her to endure alone. Slipping her hand from his grasp. Lindsay began to back away. 'I really think I should see what's keeping Danny. This isn't like him.' She had no way of knowing whether it was or not; she knew only that she wanted to get away for a little while. 'He really shouldn't keep you waiting like this'

Quinton had never been accused of displaying false modesty. 'I'm not accustomed to being kept waiting. Not without entertainment.'

There was no way she was going to provide _that_ any longer. 'I'll be right back.' She promised. _When pigs fly_, she thought, if she had her way.

Without sparing either of them a backward glance, Lindsay hurried toward the hotel door. Once inside the hotel, she discovered that her mind wasn't the only thing disorientated. She had a complete lack of sense of direction. There were too many people in the way for her to get her bearings. Which way was the front desk? She stopped the first bellman she saw and asked for directions. Repeating them to herself like a chant, she finally arrived at the deck. Her heart sank. Danny was nowhere in sight.

Where had he gone?

Feeling a little desperate, Lindsay approached the man behind the reservation desk. 'Excuse me, could you tell me where Mr. Messer went?

Without turning his head, the man raised his eyes from the computer screen. His fingers remained poised on the keys. The smile his offered was both bright and without substance. It was exercised over a hundred times a day.

'Who?'

Lindsay couldn't shake the edgy feeling wafting through her. It might have originated in her amnesia, but it was steadily growing larger. It was as if everything she came in contact with insisted on contributing to it.

'The man who took a call here.'

The clerk looked at her blankly. 'I'm afraid you're mistaken.' He looked back at the screen and began to type. 'No one took a call at the desk during my watch.'

Lindsay leaned over and placed her hand over his, stilling the soft clatter of keys. He looked at her patiently, silently waiting for her to continue.

The bellman just came for him. At the pool. He said there was a call for my husband .' Lindsay said each word slowly as if that would make him understand. She could feel her frustration building.

The clerk looked down at her hand and waited until she withdrew it before he replied. His tone was patronizing 'if there was a call for your husband, the bellman would have brought a telephone to your table.' He began typing again.

An impatient sigh escaped her lips. 'The bellman said that they were all being used.'

The man ceased typing. His expression never changed as he reached down behind and produced a small telephone. Then he spared her a smile meant for a mentally challenged individual.

'Hardly I assure you that there are more where that came from.'

She didn't understand, not any of it. Why would the bellman say there were no telephones available if there were? And where was Danny? Why had he just disappeared? There had to be some explanation. Lindsay looked around feeling a little desperate. 'Is there another front desk somewhere? '

Thinking himself the target of a prank, the clerk's manner became distant. 'Yes. But that would be at another hotel, I'm afraid.'

He wasn't going to be any help. Lindsay backed away from the desk as a man in a Stetson ushered a large boned woman swaddled in a full length fur coat forward. The woman appeared to be quite oblivious to the temperature outside.

'We'd like a room.' The man announced in a booming voice. 'The name's Allen, Kiki and Jordan.'

'Make sure they give you a telephone,' Lindsay murmured to the man as she walked away.

Lindsay dragged her hand through her hair. There had to be some mistake. Where could Danny have gone? Everyone couldn't be lying to her, yet nothing was making any sense. She had no choice but to return to the table at the poolside. Maybe Danny was back. She fervently hoped so. She felt completely adrift right now and he was her only anchor. Retracing her steps carefully. Lindsay was just hurrying past the bank of elevators when the last car opened. She stopped, stunned, as she saw Danny stepping out.

Why had he gone upstairs?

He obviously hadn't seen her but was turning toward the rear of the hotel. He appeared intent on returning to the pool.

'Danny'

Danny stopped and turned abruptly at the sound of his name. He'd been preoccupied with his phone call from Mac. The man had rubber stamped his approach to the problem. Now if he could only feel he was doing the right thing…

**Well what you think? Please review to let me know :) … until next time**


	12. Did she think she was married to a pimp?

**Here's the latest in this story again mistakes may be present due to the haste of the writing … hope you all enjoy :) Thank you for the kind reviews especially from my dedicated readers ******** please review so I know how I'm going :) Its longer and this may seem like filler but trust me I'm building up to some D/L action soon ... Please R & R :) **

**Chapter 12 – 'Did she think she was married to a pimp?'**

His eyes widened. Lindsay. What was she doing here? Reining in his exasperation, Danny had no choice but to wait until she caught up to him.

'What are you doing here?' she wanted to know.

Damn it, couldn't she ever stay put? 'I could ask you the same question.'

He was doing it again, avoiding answering her question. 'I came looking for you.' She told him. She looked at him accusingly. 'You were supposed to be right back. That man makes me uneasy.'

He hoped she hadn't inadvertently said anything to put Quinton off. He fell back into character. A part of him hated all this but he had no choice. 'That man can make us rich.'

'How?' Danny still hadn't given her any details.

'I'm working on that.' He answered vaguely.

Why were direct answers so difficult for him? Determined to get at least one, she pressed on. 'Where did you go just now?'

She was acting more and more like herself, even if she didn't know it, he thought. It was the worst of all possible worlds.

'To answer the telephone. You were there when the bellman called me away.' A thought occurred to him. He brushed her hair aside from the bump. Was it turning colours now? 'Are you feeling worse?'

She pushed his hand away. This had nothing to do with her amnesia.

'No I'm not feeling worse, but I am feeling confused as hell.' What was going on here? She waved a hand toward the front of the hotel. 'The desk clerk just said you didn't take any call.'

He'd learned to think on his feet a long time ago. If he hadn't he would have been dead by now. He wasn't about to tell her that he'd taken the call in Flack's quarters.

'Then he's mistaken. Maybe what he meant was that I didn't talk to anyone. And I didn't. When I got to the telephone, there was no one there.' He shrugged casually, then hooked his arm through hers, gently ushering her away. 'I guess they must have hung up.'

She wanted to believe him – she really did. But she couldn't shake the feeling that she was missing something vital here. 'Then why didn't you come back to the table?'

'I went up to our room.'

He saw Flack, the bellman who'd come to get him earlier, over by the bar. With a barely perceivable movement Danny nodded to him. The latter looked relieved. 'I realized that I left my wallet upstairs.'

She frowned. Why was he deliberately lying to her? 'Your wallet? I saw you put wallet in your pants this morning before we left for the hospital.' She remembered seeing him pick it up from the bureau. But if she was right, what did that prove? That he lied about inconsequential things? Or was there something larger at stake?

Danny shook his head. There was pity in his eyes as he kissed her forehead. 'Your confused, honey,' he assured her. 'My wallet was on the bureau when I came upstairs. Just where I left it. I had to get it. I can't have Quinton paying for the champagne.'

That really didn't make any sense. 'Why? He obviously likes playing the grand host. It goes along with the image he is trying to project.'

Without knowing it, Lindsay had hit the nail on the head. 'Maybe, but you have to spend money to make money. Quinton expects me to pick up some of the tab. Its part of the game.'

She wasn't interested in any games. She was interested in something making sense for a change. Nothing, since she'd opened her eyes this morning had. 'What about what I expect?'

'I wasn't aware that you expected anything.' Danny wanted her out of the way. And safe. He was still naïve enough to hope for both. He should have known better. This was getting really difficult. But he'd made his decision and had to stick by it. Too much was at stake. 'Do you want to go upstairs and lie down?'

'Is that an offer?'

Even as she asked, she knew it wasn't. He was like a different person when he was around Quinton – or talking about him. Just what of an attraction does that man hold for Danny? What was it she wasn't understanding here? Danny and Quinton didn't appear to have anything in common.

Danny shook his head. 'It's a suggestion.'

She sighed as they made their way through the crowd. It seemed to have swelled in the past half hour. 'You mean alone, don't you?'

This really wasn't going to go down well once she recovered her memory. And he was going to play it for all it was worth. Maybe they'd both share a laugh over it. Eventually. Anticipation had him smiling despite his annoyance.

'How else can you get some rest?'

'I don't want rest, I'm restless.'

What was the use? Lindsay waved her own words aside. 'Never mind. Lets get this over with.'

She made it sound as if she thought this was the last they were seeing of the other couple. But it was just the beginning. Payoff- if it came – and it had better – wouldn't be for at least another two to three days at the earliest if he didn't miss his guess.

Danny lowered his voice as he inclined his head toward her. 'I want you to be nice to Quinton. He could represent out future.'

She didn't know him well enough not to draw the logical conclusion at his request. Anger froze in her breast. 'Just how nice are we talking about here?'

It took him less than a second to realize what she was asking.

'Not what you're thinking.' He snapped before he could stop himself. Did she think she was married to a pimp? This was getting to be messy. 'I just want you to be pleasant and smile at the man when he looks at you. I'll do the rest.'

Lindsay wasn't as easily convinced of that as she might have been earlier. 'Unless you get another phone call.'

There was no danger of that. 'No more phone calls,' Danny promised. He'd done what he needed to do, now he had to be in Quinton's face until it was over.

He kept his arm around Lindsay's shoulder as they approached Quinton's table. 'Sorry.' He addressed Quinton. 'The call was unavoidable. Business.'

Lindsay stared at Danny as she took her seat. What was he talking about? He had just told her that there hadn't been anyone on the line. Why was he lying? The look in Danny's eyes warned her not to contradict him.

Quinton took the explanation in stride. As Danny sat down, Quinton filled his glass for him. The bottle was close to empty again. It amazed Lindsay that Quinton was showing absolutely

No signs of inebriated. What was the man made of? Quinton eyed Danny. 'What kind of business did you say you were in again, Messer?'

**Well what you think? Please review to let me know :) … until next time**


	13. It would make Danny sit up and beg

**I apologise for the long time between updates, i have been extremely flat out since uni has started, teaching takes up a lot of my time, also i am lacking the motivation to write, not sure if this story is worth continuing anymore. Thank you for the kind reviews especially from my dedicated readers, hopefully you continue to enjoy. **

**Chapter 13 '****It **_**would **_**make Danny sit up and beg'**

Quinton eyed Danny. 'What kind of business did you say you were in again, Messer?'

He hadn't said . He'd deliberately skated around the issue. A man didn't come right out and declare her was on the wrong side of the law, not unless he was an idiot. And Danny knew that Quinton had no patience with idiots.

'Same as yours, Mr Quinton.' He took a sip of the champagne. Their eyes met in silence. Quinton understood him, Danny thought in satisfaction. 'Investments. Land developing.' Danny took another sip, pausing for emphasis. 'A little of this, a little of that.' He positioned his glass within the water ring it had formed on the frosted tabletop. 'Wherever there's money, i'm there.'

He didn't make it sound very solid, Lindsay thought. And yet he could afford to give her a ring the size of Rhode Island. Business had to be good.

Quinton tilted his head, a raven watching a worm rise out of the earth, waiting to pounce. 'Then why is it I've never heard you mention before?'

Danny laughed shortly. 'People I deal with have better things to do than bandy names about.' He waited a beat to give the next words emphasis. 'But Werner's mentioned you to me on several occasions.'

The name obviously meant something to Quinton, Lindsay thought. She saw the dark brows rise, one higher than the other. 'Hans Werner?'

Danny barely nodded, then smiled. 'He'd said you'd remember, he told me he met you in Rio a couple of years ago.' With hooded eyes, Danny watched Quinton's expression as he leisurely sipped his champagne. He was almost enjoying himself. 'Said you were a very reasonable man to work with, once the terms were correct.'

'I am.' Quinton threw back his glass as if he were downing shooters instead of a glass of champagne that went for fifty dollars a bottle. His small eyes pinned Danny to his chair. 'Where do you know him from?'

Danny deliberately played it cagey. 'Like i said, i deal in the same commodities you do.'

Lindsay had the impression she was watching a very strange dance. For each step one man took, the other matched him, then moved one step on his own.

She glanced at Sally. The woman had tuned the conversation out and was amusing herself by watching a well-muscled man who couldn't have been more than twenty years old. He was strolling around the pool blatantly showing off his body. The white thong he wore left little to be imagined. The smile on Quinton's lips peeled back a fraction of an inch at a time as he regarded his tablemate. 'perhaps we can get together later and discuss this further, when we wont be bothering the ladies.'

Lindsay knew better than to be taken in by the thoughtfulness Quinton seemed to be expressing. He just didn't want them around. For the first time, she wanted to stay.

'I'm nor bored,' she assured him with feeling. To prove her point, she wrapped her arms around Danny, her eyes on Quinton. 'I want to know everything about my husband's line of work.'

Quinton studied her, as if unable to decide whether she was the genuine article. 'Sometimes, my dear, too much knowledge can be a bad thing.'

'Ignorance is bliss?' she guessed, surprised she remembered the saying. 'Only if you consciously choose it to be. I don't.'

Quinton leaned over. 'Take my advice. choose it.' And then he smiled as he leaned back in his chair. 'Somebody as pretty as you shouldn't have to clutter up her head with details that don't concern her.'

Was he for real? one look at Danny told her that Quinton meant exactly what he was saying. The veneer might be smooth, but beneath it, he had the soul of a Neanderthal. She didn't need her memory to see that. Lindsay could practically see him dragging his knuckles on the ground. Quinton shifted in his seat until he could reach into his back pocket for his wallet. He drew out a handful of hundred-dollar bills and tossed it carelessly down on the table.

'Sally,, why don't you take Mrs Messer shopping? Buy something pretty for tonight.'

'Tonight?' Lindsay echoed. She thought tonight would be private. She looked at Danny for an explanation. Quinton answered instead. 'Yes, as i said earlier, you two are my good luck charms. I'd like to see if that luck holds up at the casino tonight.'

Sally was gathering the bills together and stuffing them into her purse. 'You know', she murmured to him, 'a credit card would be easier.'

Quinton laughed. 'Perhaps, but i like the feel of money in my hand.' He looked at Danny, still trying to figure him out. 'Nothing like the feel f crisp bills in your fingers is there, Messer?'

Danny didn't want Lindsay leaving, but there wasn't anything he could say without arousing suspicion. He was forced to nod his agreement.

'You wont get an argument from me. But you can save your money, Mr Quinton. I can afford to dress my own wife.'

To Lindsay's astonishment, Danny handed her an equal number of bills, all hundreds.

Quinton liked what he saw. 'I guess you can at that.' He turned to Sally. 'Well, what are you waiting for? I asked you to leave.'

Lindsay could see that Sally didn't care to be ordered around, sent away like an inconvenience, but the woman rose. She half glanced at Lindsay.

'C'mon... Lindsay is it?' She didn't bother looking at Lindsay for an answer. 'Were being dismissed.' Lindsay picked up her purse. She could see that Danny wasn't happy about her leaving. The thought cheered her. Maybe there was hope, after all. 'Don't be gone long.' he called after her. Not, she thought, if she could help it.

Sally, Lindsay discovered, descended on the mall like a queen on a country she had already conquered. Moving from store to store with Lindsay in her wake. Sally spent money as if it had been printed expressly for her use. The more expensive an item was, the better. It seemed to Lindsay that she took particular delight in spending Quinton's money.

The spree was a revelation to Lindsay. She found that she didn't have much interest in clothes whose price tags could have easily been a down payment on a brand new sedan. She liked her clothes simple but interesting. While Sally selected three gowns by a new designer who was all the rage and whose prices reflected it, Lindsay's attention was drawn to an electric blue satin slip dress that looked as if it knew just where to hug a curve.

Easing it off the hanger, Lindsay held it up against herself and looked at her reflection in the mirror, debating trying the dress on. So far, nothing had tempted her sufficiently to enter a dressing room. Sally glanced in her direction and surprised Lindsay by nodding at the selection.

'That should make him sit up and beg.'

Lindsay hadn't expected a compliment. She ran her hand over the material. 'You think?'

There was s smirk on Sally's lips. She turned her attention back to her own selections. 'Trust me, honey. I know.'

Lindsay had no doubt she did. Intrigued, she went to try the dress on, she was pleased to discover that the dress looked better on than she'd imagined.

It _would _make Danny sit up and beg.


	14. up or down its your choice

**Apologises for the long time between updates, i have been extremely flat out since uni has started, teaching takes up a lot of my time, also i am lacking the motivation to write, not sure if this story is worth continuing anymore. Thank you for the kind reviews especially from my dedicated readers, hopefully you continue to enjoy. **

**Chapter 14 'up or down its your choice'**

'That should make him sit up and beg.'

Lindsay hadn't expected a compliment. She ran her hand over the material. 'You think?'

There was s smirk on Sally's lips. She turned her attention back to her own selections. 'Trust me, honey. I know.'

Lindsay had no doubt she did. Intrigued, she went to try the dress on, she was pleased to discover that the dress looked better on than she'd imagined.

It _would _make Danny sit up and beg.

Satisfied, she handed the dress over to the closest saleswoman.

'Ill take it.' She saw a half smile grace sally's lips. Maybe the woman wasn't so bad after all, Lindsay mused.

The dress, plus matching shows were the only purchases Lindsay made all afternoon. Sally on the other hand appeared to be determined to single handedly resurrect the economy. They went to six other stores before Sally declared herself temporarily sated.

'Do you always shop like this?' Lindsay asked her as the chauffer-driven limousine brought them back to this hotel.

'Yes' There was no apology in the answer. 'If i have to put up with Richard's roving eye then he damn well is going to pay for it. If a woman doesn't look out for herself, no one else will. And if she doesn't look good,' she said tapping the top of the stack of boxes, 'no one's going to look either'.

Sally looked pointedly at her, 'i'd remember that if i were you.'

'Which part?'

The spark Lindsay had seen earlier in Sally was already waning. Sally stared out the window looking at Vegas by daylight. It wasn't nearly as impressive as it was once the sun was down.

'Both'

Lindsay detected a note of sadness in the woman's voice. She didn't envy her. The next moment she found herself wondering if, perhaps they were in the same boat. Beneath the trappings were Danny and Quinton alike? Her first reaction was to say no.

Her second was to wonder.

By the time they returned to the hotel Lindsya has managed to place her insecurities about Danny on hol until she had more to go on. For now, she would proceed slowly.

The long exhausting house she had endured shopping with Sally were all worth it once she saw the look on Danny's face when she emerged from the bathroom in her new purchase.

Danny had spent the better part of the afternoon concerned for her. When she;d entered the suite, packages in her arms, her knew he'd worried needlessly. Instead of showing him what she'd bought, she'd disappeared with her packages into the bathroom and remained there for a long time.

He'd been just about to knock on the door to ask her to hurry up when the door suddenly opened. Surprised Danny stepped back to let her pass.

The blue material glided seductively along her body like the softest of rose petals. Very sexy rose petals Danny thought, almost against his will. His eyes skimmed over her outline. Unless he missed his guess, she wasn't wearing anything underneath. Not if the smooth, flowing lines were any indication.

Danny felt something tightening in his gut. And lower.

'Wow,' he whispered. His reaction, not to mention the appreciative expression on his face, pleased her. She moved toward him very slowly, aware of the way the material brushed along her body. Like the gentle touch of a lover. She wondered if Danny would touch her that way.

She wanted to find out.

Her eyes held his. Lindsay had her answer. 'Then you like it?'

It was an effort to look up at her face. 'I'd have to be dead not to like it.'

'Good' her body teasingly close to his, Lindsay threaded her arms around his neck. The breeze from the window fluttered her dress along his skin. She saw desire flaring in his eyes.

_Yes!_

Lindsay tilted her head, a silent offer whispering in her eyes. 'Then pick up the phone and tell Quinton that we'll take a rain check.'

Danny didn't have to feign reluctance. He felt it in every fiber of his being. Her fervently whished that the scenario had laid itself out in a different way. But it hadn't and right now he wasn't at liberty to follow through with what his body was urgently begging him to do.

He would never be at liberty to, he thought with no small regret. Becuase if Lindsay hadn't lost her memory, this wouldn't have been happening. She'd made their positions clear from teh first.

Very carefully with the sincerest of apologies on his face, Danny removed her arms from his neck.

'Cant do that'

So much for Sally's predictions. The man seemed to be made out of stone. Either that or she just wasn't being seductive enough. He seemed completely unmovable and unaffected.

Well almost completely, Lindsay amended with a pleased smile as she let her eyes drift down the length of his body. Still, she disappeared. Bitterly so. Things were not going the way she assumed they were meant to. She wanted him to sweep her into his arms, to crush her mouth to his and say the hell with the world beyond the door.

She wanted him to make her feel safe in this new world she found herself in. Lindsay lightly ran her fingertips over the downy hair, just barely touching it. She saw desire winking in and out of his eyes again.

Maybe all he needed was a little encouragement

'I'd thought this was supposed to be our honeymoon.'

He caught her hand in his. She was really getting to him. It had to be because he was so tense about what was going down, he rationalised, but that didn't change the way he was reacting to her.

'It is, but there's no harm in mixing business with pleasure.'

So far all she'd seen was the business side of it. She wanted the pleasure to begin.

'I don't know about that.'

Resigned Lindsay turned and presented her back to him.

'I need a little help with the zipper.'

She bit her lower lip making one last attempt.

'Up or down it's your choice.'


End file.
